The Destiny Tree
by Jessalyn Sai
Summary: Kagome wanders off alone and finds herself facing the Destiny Tree: a village legend that immortalizes the bond between two people who share their first kiss beneath its boughs. A shard of the Shikon jewel has corrupted the spirit of the tree, and it befalls either Inuyasha or Koga to save Kagome from the evil spirit! (Rated T for some language and violence)


Kagome sighed as she watched Sango and Kirara fly off to gather their companions. She flopped down against a large tree on the outskirts of a village they'd spotted from the air. She'd opted to go along with Sango, feeling the need to get away from a very irritable Inuyasha.

They'd been traveling for days without any signs of a shard of the Shikon Jewel, nor any signs of demon activity in the area. Inuyasha was getting restless and he grew angry at everything and everyone.

Not to mention the fact that Kagome's school work hadn't exactly been her highest priority lately. She had an essay due next week, but hadn't quite finished the reading involved. Kagome rifled through her backpack, finding a tattered paperback at the bottom. It was a western fairy tale: something about a princess falling into a cursed sleep and being woken by a brave, handsome prince. Kagome scoffed as she flipped through pages she'd already read. _But it would be nice to find my own handsome prince,_ she thought. _Most of the princes in the feudal era are far from brave. The ones most willing to rescue me here are a handsy monk, an overly affectionate wolf demon, and an insufferable half demon._ She slammed the book closed thinking angrily about how Inuyasha had treated her as of late, but before she could stew for too long, an elderly woman wandered up the path by the tree.

"Greetings, stranger," the woman hailed Kagome warmly. "Are you waiting for your one true love?"

Kagome could feel her cheeks getting red, but shook her head. "No, I'm waiting for my friends."

"Ah," the woman nodded as she walked up to stand near the tree. "Do you know the legend of the tree you sit beneath?"

Interested, Kagome rose to stand next to the woman and consider the tree. "No," admitted the dark haired girl. "Would you mind telling me about it?"

The tree reminded Kagome of the sacred tree back at her shrine. The same tree that Inuyasha had been tacked to in this era, though this tree wasn't quite as large. She reached out and touched the bark of the trunk, noticing a slight shimmer that she hadn't seen when she'd first arrived. The tree was surrounded by the faintest barrier and the moment she touched the trunk, she thought she could sense the presence of a jewel shard. Kagome jerked her hand back in surprise, but the old woman didn't seem to notice.

"This tree is known to our village as the Destiny Tree," the woman said, gazing up into the branches. "An old tale passed down for generations claims that if a couple shares their first kiss under this tree, they will be bonded together forever."

Kagome smiled, forgetting about the shard for a moment. "That sounds so romantic!" She clasped her hands against her cheek. Her mind played through a scenario where Inuyasha shyly embraced her beneath the branches of this very tree, but she sighed and rolled her eyes, waving the image away. "It'll never happen," she said, not meaning to voice her thoughts aloud.

The old woman chuckled, "You are young, yet, girl. You may find your true love and bring him here before this tree." She studied Kagome's face. "Or, perhaps you've already found him." The woman smiled wide, showing a gap in her teeth.

Kagome rubbed the back of her head and forced a laugh. "Yeah, maybe." _Of course I love someone who doesn't care about me in the slightest._ Her thoughts took a sad turn as she recalled the last time she found Inuyasha and Kikyo together. Inuyasha had already made his choice, but it was Kagome's decision to stick around, no matter how much it hurt.

The old woman began to walk away, but called back to Kagome. "I'd advise you to seek shelter in the village, girl. Though this tree is a place for lovers during the day, the night brings a different tale as of late."

Kagome gathered her belongings and followed the woman. "What do you mean?"

"A few of our young people have gone missing whilst waiting for their lovers to meet them at the tree."

"Do you think maybe they got cold feet and ran off?" Kagome laughed to herself, picturing Miroku surrounded by several women trying to kiss him under the tree.

"Oh, no, girl," the woman answered quietly. "Those who've disappeared were very much in love and very willing to bond beneath the tree. We think there is a jealous spirit nearby who cannot stand to see such love and devotion."

"Hm," Kagome mused. "Jealous spirit, huh? I have a friend who's a monk. He might be able to help!"

"That would be a kind gesture, girl. Our village would be in your debt."

A small figure appeared beneath the Destiny Tree, unseen in the waning light of evening. The figure reached out and touched the tree, dropping the barrier around the trunk.

Kagome froze. _The jewel shard! I can sense it now!_ "I- I think I forgot my book under the tree," she lied to the old woman. "I'll catch up with you in a moment."

"Very well, girl. My home is just on the edge of the village at the end of this path. It isn't much, but you and your friends are welcome to stay with me for the night once they arrive. Don't linger out here too long." The woman disappeared over a hill along the path.

Kagome waited until the woman was out of sight, then darted back to the tree. The shard was clear to see now, embedded just at eye level. "I wonder why the barrier went away," Kagome wondered aloud. The tree seemed even more inviting than it did before. Fireflies danced all around the tree, casting a warm glow. "Talk about atmosphere," Kagome sighed wistfully. She had only a moment to admire the tree before a harsh voice broke through her thoughts.

"I thought you might come back, foolish girl!"

Kagome looked down and gasped. A grubby, impish creature stood at her feet. It looked as thought it was made of the gnarled roots of the tree itself. It stood about three feet high and had small branches jutting out randomly all over its body. It spoke out of two leaves that formed a mouth shaped like a duck bill. Kagome would have laughed at the ridiculous sight, but the creature spat a fine dust in her face that made her cough violently and fall to the ground.

"I lay dormant under this tree for ages, but was awoken by the power of the jewel. The tree is sustained by the bonds of love formed at its side," the creature explained. "I, however, am sustained by the misery of those suffering from unrequited love."

Kagome tried to call out for help, but the dust caught in her throat made her cough once more before she blacked out. 

"YOU WHAT?" Inuyasha bellowed at Sango. The half demon stood toe to toe with the young demon slayer. The girl seemed only mildly annoyed.

"She said she needed to get some of her work done. I knew we wouldn't be long, so I saw no harm in leaving her there. I didn't sense any trouble, so relax, Inuyasha," Sango waved her hand dismissively.

Inuyasha growled, ready to engage in verbal battle, but Miroku, the monk, spoke first. "Sango's right, Inuyasha. You've been extremely tense lately and taking it out on all of us, especially Kagome. I'm hardly surprised she wanted to be alone for a while."

 _Oh they're all ganging up on me now, huh?_ Inuyasha thought bitterly. Truth be told, he knew he'd been moody lately, but apparently worse than usual. Shards were getting harder to find, they hadn't picked up on Naraku's scent in some time, and there hadn't been many demons around to fight lately. The half demon felt restless, like they weren't making any progress. Not his fault he was so irritable.

The other part of his frustration was Kikyo. It'd been a while since he'd seen her last, but he'd made up his mind that he'd die along with her if that's what she wanted. Fifty years ago their lives may had been different if not for Naraku's treachery, but that was all in the past. Now the dead priestess haunted him and he felt that leaving this world with her was his only way to make amends for all the pain Kikyo had suffered.

However, Kikyo's reincarnation had entered his life. Kagome. Willing him to live on and to be happy again. She was easily the kindest, most gentle person he'd ever met, but she was equally headstrong and damn infuriating! Thinking of her calmed him for only a moment, then he raged once again.

"I don't give a damn if she wants to be alone! That idiot should know it's dangerous to be by herself out here. Who knows what kind of demon could be lurking a-" Inuyasha's ears perked up and he drew his blade, the Tetsusaiga, halfway from its sheath.

Miroku and Sango set themselves for a fight, but a familiar whirlwind swirled out of the treeline and stopped in their path. The wolf demon, Koga, stood before them, a smug grin on his face.

"Hey, Mutt-boy, where's Kagome? I heard you barking over here and decided to pay my woman a visit!" Koga sniffed the air and his grin faded.

Sango spoke up, sensing trouble if the situation wasn't quickly defused, "She's at the village ahead, Koga. Don't worry, she's fine."

Unfortunately, this did little to ease Koga's rage. "She's alone? You stupid mutt! Why would you leave her unprotected?!"

Inuyasha clenched his fists. "It wasn't my idea, you mangy wolf! Kagome's the one that wanted to be by herself!"

Miroku stroked his chin with his thumb, deep in thought. "Sango, you said you left Kagome there under a large tree?"

"Yes, why? Is that important?" Sango asked.

"Well, now that I think about it, I've heard stories about that tree," Miroku replied. "If memory serves me, it's called _The Destiny Tree._ Supposed to be a sacred place where lovers go to share their first kiss." He grinned mischievously. "How about it, Sango?"

Sango replied with Hiraikotsu over Miroku's head.

Koga grinned again. "Is that so?" Without another word, the wolf demon sped off, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

"Where's he think he's going?" Inuyasha growled.

"Maybe he thinks he'll get Kagome to kiss him under the tree," Miroku said, gingerly rubbing the fresh knot on his head. "If the legends are true, Koga could seal the bond between himself and Kagome, eternally."

Inuyasha went pale. _"HE WHAT?"_ He really hated that wolf. He'd been trying to win Kagome over for some time now and it made the half demon sick to his stomach. Before he realized what he was doing, Inuyasha ran off toward the village. He bounded up into the trees, using branches to propel himself faster. There was no way he was going to let Koga bind himself to Kagome using some weird tree magic.

Sango and Miroku were left behind to run after the others. "You think you should have mentioned that bit about bonding eternally, Miroku?" Sango asked.

Miroku chuckled nervously, "Yeah that may have been a bad idea. Kagome's about to have her studies interrupted by two very jealous demons." 

Inuyasha bolted across the field to the tree at the outskirts of the village. Something wasn't right, he could smell it. Koga was standing in front of the tree, several feet away, looking horrified. Inuyasha could smell Kagome's scent, but it was different, muted by something else. He stopped next to Koga, surveying the scene.

"There's a barrier around the tree," Koga said quietly. "Kagome's there." He pointed toward a tangle of roots that had grown up around the tree's trunk. Kagome was held fast by the gnarled roots.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, all of his anger replaced by concern. He drew Tetsusaiga, which flared to life with Inuyasha's desire to protect the girl.

Inuyasha's shout seemed to bring Kagome to consciousness. She lifted her head and her eyes opened just barely. "Inu...yash...a... help... me," the girl stammered before her eyes closed and her head dropped to the side. Another barrier flared to life, this one smaller and centered on the girl.

 _That can't be good,_ Inuyasha thought to himself. Before he could make any decisions on a course of action, roots shot up from the ground, attacking both him and Koga.

As the two fought off the roots that were trying to pierce them, the small, impish root creature appeared just inside the outer barrier of the tree. "Ah, so here you are. Two men to test the heart of the young priestess," it rasped, its mouth twisted into somewhat of an manic grin.

"Just what the hell are you yammering on about?" Inuyasha snapped, trying to overpower a particularly incessant root. He raised his foot to knock it back, then sliced through with his sword. Inyuasha leapt into the air and dropped down in front of the creature, only the barrier between them.

"Ah ah!" The creature warned. "Only those interested in winning the girl's affection may pass through. Any others..." The imp turned its attention elsewhere.

Miroku and Sango had just arrived and began to do battle with the aggressive roots as well. Miroku spotted Kagome and tried to pass the barrier to go to her aid, but it flared with power and sent Miroku flying backwards.

The root creature chuckled. "Any others will be denied entry."

Inuyasha growled in frustration. This time he might not be able to save Kagome. _Do I want to win Kagome's affection?_ He wasn't quite sure. That raised a few tough questions, some that he'd been forcing from his mind for some time. As he pondered what to do next, the roots surrounded him and he was forced to fight them off. Someone else had been spurred into action though. Koga let out a whoop of delight and pushed past the barrier without hesitation.

"Kagome's as good as mine!" Koga yelled back at Inuyasha.

"Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha bellowed, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive. He raised the Tetsusaiga, poised to strike not only at the wolf demon, but to take the entire tree with it. _If I can't reach her, at least I can get rid of the tree and free her that way._

Before he could unleash a wave of destruction, his blade reverted back to its original, rusty form. "What the?"

The root creature laughed. "Desire to kill the tree? You'd kill the girl too, you know?"

Inuyasha growled and thrust his weapon into its sheathe, then gasped. Koga had made it to Kagome's root prison. Inuyasha watched helplessly as the wolf demon moved in to kiss Kagome.

Blind rage took over and without thinking, Inuyasha sliced through the attacking roots and raced toward Koga. "Get your hands off her, you nasty wolf!" But he was too late.

Inuyasha, though more angry at Koga than he'd ever been, processed a few truths in that one moment. First, he'd passed through the barrier. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but at least it was another obstacle out of the way. Second, Koga had just kissed Kagome while she was unconscious and tied down, which infuriated Inuyasha all the more. Surely Kagome wouldn't have _allowed_ it to happen! Third, he was dimly aware that he'd stepped on something. He looked down to see Kagome's book underfoot. He remembered her going on about a sleeping girl getting kissed by a prince to wake her up, which he thought was stupid at the time, but now he was seeing it first hand. Only...

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Koga asked angrily. "Why isn't she waking up?" He grabbed Kagome's shoulders and shook her a bit, but she didn't respond. He backed away from the girl, looking shocked.

"It would seem that you are not the object of her affection, wolf," the root creature said. "But I have to thank you, as your unrequited love has given me even more power!" More roots, stronger and more deadly than before, sprang up inside the barrier. One of the roots speared Koga through the shoulder and tacked him to the ground. Inuyasha darted back and forth, avoiding the killer roots, and found himself next to Kagome. Her own protective barrier kept the dangerous roots at bay.

Inuyasha tried to yank the roots that bound Kagome to the tree, but they wouldn't give. He shook the girl gently. "Kagome, you need to wake up. We need to get out of here!" Inuyasha pleaded, but the girl didn't respond. Inuyasha let out a frustrated groan.

 _"...a place where lovers go to share their first kiss."_ Miroku's words flooded Inuyasha's mind. His ears twitched nervously. He was hesitating and he knew why. It'd be easy enough to kiss her, hell, maybe he wanted to, but... _what if it didn't work?_ He knew the creature would grow stronger, which would be a if it did work, what did that mean? Inuyasha wasn't sure he believed in a tree bonding two people for eternity, but did he want to risk it? Kagome would be stuck with him.

He took a long look at the girl before him. It dawned on him that Kagome looked just like he had when she found him the first time, back when he was bound to the Sacred Tree. _Kagome wouldn't give this a second thought,_ Inuyasha said to himself, feeling a bit ashamed.

Outside, the roots of the tree were growing stronger. Koga was fighting them off, but he wouldn't last much longer. Miroku and Sango were out of sight. They could all be in a lot of trouble.

Inuyasha made his decision. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Kagome's. He'd meant to give her a quick peck and be done with it, but he lingered there for a moment, breathing in her scent. Koga's scent was still on Kagome's skin. Inuyasha was about to pull away, jealousy flaring up inside him once more, but Kagome stirred and gently returned Inuyasha's embrace.

The root creature screamed in agony and the attacking roots began to shrivel and fall to the ground. The creature burst into blue flame and disappeared, its cry echoing off into the night. The roots around Kagome loosened, allowing Inuyasha to free her and pull her away from the tree. He lay her sleeping form on the ground as gently as he could, grateful that she was safe again. Despite his concern about the implications of the events, Inuyasha turned around to gloat to Koga about being the one to save Kagome. The wolf demon had gone, though. Inuyasha could smell his blood and realized he had been injured, but he guessed that Koga's pride was more wounded than his body.

The Destiny Tree lit up with a warm glow. Inuyasha stood before the tree and noticed another root-like creature in the branches. This one was more shaped like a woman, though, with long green vines for hair and smooth amber stones for eyes.

"Thank you for releasing me, half demon," the root woman said. "I am the spirit of the Destiny Tree. Part of me had rotted away and had been cast aside until a shard of the Shikon jewel embedded into my bark. That dark piece of my body gained new life and sought to overpower me. Thanks to you, I am free of its evil."

"You're welcome, I guess," Inuyasha said, sulking. "I was just trying to save Kagome."

"You seem troubled by what has transpired," the spirit said.

"Well, yeah. I mean I wanted to save her, but now I feel like I made a mistake," Inuyasha looked down at his feet.

"It is true that you shared your first kiss with the priestess beneath my boughs and with me as witness, however..."

Inuyasha looked up at the spirit. He did do something wrong. He knew it!

The tree spirit smiled, not finishing her thought. "When two lovers come here, I take their auras and entwine them. It gives me strength to do so. It bonds their destinies together, whether they go on to live together and raise a family, or they carry some other meaning in each others lives. They will be bonded for eternity," she turned her haunting eyes toward the half demon. "Unfortunately, I could not entwine your aura with that of the priestess."

Inuyasha felt something in him deflate. "So Kagome and I aren't going to stay together?" He'd worried about this deep in the back of his mind. Once the jewel shards were all located and Naraku was defeated, would Kagome have to go back to her own time?

The tree spirit smiled warmly. "I couldn't entwine that which had already been entwined."

Inuyasha's ears perked up. "Huh?"

"You and the priestess have one of the strongest bonds I have ever felt," The spirit gestured toward the sleeping girl. "Your destinies have been entwined for some time now. Like it or not, this girl is part of your life, and shall be always, for good or ill," the tree spirit faded away, leaving only the glow from a cloud of lightning bugs that flitted around the tree. Her voice echoed softly in Inuyasha's mind, "Please give this to the priestess. She has the power to cleanse its aura and it will remain safe in her care." A single blossom fluttered down into Inuyasha's palm, curling open to reveal one of the sacred jewel shards. He tucked it into a pocket in Kagome's bag at the base of the tree.

Inuyasha sat down beside Kagome and gathered her up into his arms. He wasn't sure what would happen now, but he was content to know that it wasn't this single decision he made that bonded the their destinies together. _When did it happen though?_ He wondered. _And how?_

Miroku and Sango made their way up to the tree. Miroku's arm was bandaged and he was leaning on Sango for support.

"Is Kagome alright?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered tersely.

"What happened?" Sango wondered.

"None of your damn business! She's fine now, okay?" Inuyasha snapped, his face reddening. He was fairly certain that Miroku and Sango hadn't seen what transpired, but he didn't need either one of them hounding him about it. He leaned Kagome against her backpack and stood up.

"You kissed her, didn't you?" Miroku taunted, earning him a punch to the head from an irate Inuyasha.

"I told you it's none of your business!" Inuyasha snarled.

"Inu..yasha?" Kagome stirred again.

Inuyasha abandoned his anger for a moment, hoisting Kagome up from the ground. "Are you alright, Kagome? You had me worried. Don't run off without someone again, okay?"

"I'm alright, just tired," Kagome replied. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to get some of my homework done." She looked a bit confused. "All I remember is some little root man putting me to sleep. What happened after that?"

Inuyasha's ear twitched and he turned his head, hoping no one noticed the deeper flush in his cheeks. "I- I saved you," he stammered. "Just like always, alright?" _So she didn't remember that kiss. Good thing. She'd probably slap me. Or use that damned 's' word._

"Okay?" Kagome stretched the word out, looking cautiously at her half demon companion. "You're acting funny, Inuyasha, what gives?"

"Just get off my back!" Inuyasha snapped before setting Kagome on her feet and heading toward the village.

Miroku and Sango exchanged confused glances. "I don't get him," Miroku sighed. "Come along, Kagome. Don't want you getting separated from us again."

Kagome gathered her belongings, noting that her book had fallen from her backpack. She looked at the paperback and giggled softly to herself. _Inuyasha has a rough exterior, but maybe he is like my prince. After all, he was the one to wake me with a kiss..._

Kagome ran off after her companions. "Wait up!"


End file.
